Folding door



Sept. 2, 1941. D. R. STUART FOLDING DOOR Filed June 24, 41939 h.. Il

DONALD R. STUART-.

Patented Sept. 2, 1941 FoLDlNG Doon Donald R. Stuart, Omaha, Nebr., assigner to Helen P. Stuart, Omaha, Nebr.

Application June24, 1939, Serial No. 281,015

(Cl. 2li- 20) 2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in folding doors consisting of face sections adapted to be collapsed outwardly and into compact form by means of connected lazy tong levers hinged on pivots, said pivots being parallel to the plane of the door.

One of the objects of my invention is to furnish Y an effective folding door that will be simple in construction and economical to manufacture and install.

Another object is to provide a construction of folding door wherein the weight of the door is generally uniformly distributed about its supports.

Another object is to provide a folding door wherein the operating mechanism will be concealed from view when the door is closed.

Another object is to provide a construction of folding door that is adapted to be installed to be collapsed vertically or with minor changes may be installed to be collapsed horizontally or otherwise. f

Another object is to provide a construction that permits the use of a double wall whereby the intervening space between said walls will reduce the transmission of sound as well as heat.

With the above and other objects in view which will be apparent from the following description,

this invention consists in certain features of con- A struction and combinations of parts which will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical section of a structure embodying the invention, with a door having four face members on each side and illustrated ina closed position. Figure 2 is a vertical section of a structure embodying the invention showing a door having two face members on each side and collapsed to the top of the door opening. Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the door side jamb showing one type of guide and roller for the movable edge of the door. Figure 4 is a perspective View of a doorway, showing the improved folding door in a partially folded position therein, and partially broken away to show guides and balance weight.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The invention is exemplified in a vertically operating door consisting of face members I and 2 which are interconnected by means of lazy tong levers 3 and 4. Face members I are each illustrated with an outwardly extended terminal projection at its upper edge I4 which closes tightly against head stop I 2 of the door opening when the door is in a closed position.

Lazy tong levers 3 are coaxially and pivotally mounted on supports I0 which in turn are mounted on framing members I5 at the top of the door frame.

The intersections of the lazy tong levers are pivotally connected by means of pivots E. Each pair of intersecting levers are pivotally connected to the next pair by means of pivots 1. Levers 5 connect the lazy tongs with guide roller shaft I'I.

The face members are connected to the lazy tong levers by means of fasteners 2|, outward of the intersectional pivots 6.

It will be observed that the action of the lazy tong levers in being either extended or retracted will maintain the face members in uniform alignment at all times. Each lever is illustrated as offset between the pivots to permit collapsing the face members into a more compact form and l each lever is also illustrated as having an extension at one end beyond its pivotal connections to provide a rigid support for the face members.

Generally one set of lazy tong levers will be required adjacent each end of the face members and for wide doors additional sets may be spaced at intervals between the sets at the ends and in coaxial alignment therewith to provide a more rigid construction for wide doors.

When installed to be collapsed vertically the door may be counterbalanced by means of weight I8 connected to pivoted shaft I1 at connection 22 by means of cables I 6 and I6 operating over pulleys I9, I9 and 20. This weight maintains the door in any position in the doo-r opening, there being no eccentric leading at any support.

When the door is closed each face member closes tightly against adjoining face members and against door stop I I at the threshold B of the door.

Guide roller 9 operating in channel 8 maintains the alignment of the door with the door opening and closing operations.

The operation of the door will be as follows: when the door is open the face members of the door will be arranged uniformly and compactly and disposed outwardly of and at the top of the door opening as illustrated in Figure 2, from which position they may obviously be lowered and by reason of the interaction of the lazy tong levers the face members will assume the position shown in Figure 1 when the door is fully closed, in which position the lazy tong levers are concealed from view.

Though I have shown and described a particu.

with approximately parallel extensions swingably mounted midway between their ends uponithe ends of a pair of angularly formedarms of ya section adjacent thereto, and a plurality of `facemembers arranged in pairs, each face-member of a pair being secured to an arm extension of an intersecting bar.

2. In a folding door, a plurality of lazy tongs, each section of each lazy tongs consisting of a Y pair of intersecting pivotally connected bars providing a pair of angularly formed arms outwardly of said intersection and providing a pair of opposed arms .wth approximately yparallel extensions swingably mounted midway between their ends upon the ends of a pair of angularly formed .arms of a section adjacent thereto, and a plurality of face-members arranged in pairs, each face-member of a pair being secured to an arm extension of v an intersecting bar.

l HELEN P. STUART,

Administratrz'rc of the Estate of Donald R. Stuart,

Deceased. 

